An accident involving a party bus left at least six people injured and backed up traffic in east Lawrence for several hours Saturday night.

The accident happened about 9 p.m. in the 1500 block of 23rd Street between Haskell Avenue and Harper Street. A party bus for Liquid, a local night club, strayed out of the parking lot of the Zarco 66 convenience store, 1500 E. 23rd St., and onto 23rd Street.

“The bus rolled out into the street unoccupied and struck a van and collided with another car that became lodged under it (the bus),” said Lawrence Police Sgt. Paul Fellers.

The bus struck a van driven by Natalie Wyatt, of Butler, Mo. Wyatt had two passengers in her vehicle, but their names weren’t available. One passenger was transported by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Fellers said.

After crossing the westbound lanes, the bus came to a stop in the eastbound lanes of 23rd Street with part of the front end of a white car trapped under it.

Eudora resident Dan Ballard Jr. was traveling eastbound in the white car with his wife, Virginia, and three daughters, Ashlie, 15; Stacey, 12; and Kaylia, 10. Some members of the family were transported by Fire & Medical ambulances to LMH, said Dan Ballard Sr., a Lawrence resident who is the father of Ballard Jr.

Ballard Sr., who was on the scene with his wife, Shirley, said Virginia Ballard had to be extricated from the car.

“We think they are all OK,” Shirley Ballard said. “But I will feel a lot better when I see them – especially Virginia.”

A nursing supervisor at LMH said members of the Ballard family were being treated, but condition reports weren’t available Saturday night.

Jim Cox, of Shawnee, said he narrowly escaped being hit by the party bus by driving up over a curve and through the parking lot at Orscheln Farm & Home Supply, 1541 E. 23rd St.

“I don’t know how I managed to get out of the way,” Cox said.

The accident eventually caused Lawrence Police officers to block all traffic along 23rd Street between Harper Street and Haskell Avenue, forcing drivers as late as 11 p.m. to find alternate routes and clogging side streets in the area.

No one from Liquid could be immediately reached for comment.